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FIFA is considering scrapping 3-D broadcasts of the next World Cup, describing ESPN's decision to abandon the format as another setback for the technology.

The sports network said earlier this week that there weren't enough viewers in the United States to make 3-D broadcasts worth the investment, and ESPN's dedicated channel will close by the end of the year.

"We know that the technology has had a few setbacks in recent days, if you refer to some of the statements by (ESPN),'' Niclas Ericson, FIFA's director of television, said Wednesday at a briefing during the Confederations Cup.

ESPN says they're pulling the channel because there wasn't enough viewers. Maybe it would have helped if more systems would have carried the channel as part of a regular programming package, like DIRECTV did, or made the price to get it affordable. TWC here offered it but it was $10/month extra for just that one channel, even hard core 3D fans would balk at that price.

ESPN says they're pulling the channel because there wasn't enough viewers. Maybe it would have helped if more systems would have carried the channel as part of a regular programming package, like DIRECTV did, or made the price to get it affordable. TWC here offered it but it was $10/month extra for just that one channel, even hard core 3D fans would balk at that price.

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It didn't have enough content either, mostly just repeats of 3 or 3 year old events.

It didn't have enough content either, mostly just repeats of 3 or 3 year old events.

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Could be the old chicken and the egg problem. There weren't enough systems that carried the channel, so there wasn't enough potential views. Lack of potential views means lack of advertisers to help offset the costs of creating new programming.

Could be the old chicken and the egg problem. There weren't enough systems that carried the channel, so there wasn't enough potential views. Lack of potential views means lack of advertisers to help offset the costs of creating new programming.